“Silks” to Explore Connections at Orcas Center

Island Aerial Acrobatic kids

Island Aerial Acrobatics will appear on Orcas Center’s Main Stage in “Connections” on March 30 and 31.

The show will include some 80 students of Maria Bullock, who began her aerial acrobatics programs 10 years ago. Her classes meet at Orcas Center, this year in the Black Box theater. Every other year, she presents a public recital at Orcas Center. This year, the show follows a group of zombie children who are “taken” into electronics.  Rainbow spirits come to show them through the world of the four elements: air, fire, water and earth. They also venture to the world of  minerals and animals to ultimately arrive at love that binds them all together In the end. The entire cast joins in  a Unity routine.

One adult member of the Silks “family,” Jen Wood, says “It’s big and beautiful and dramatic, re-connecting in a world of disconnections. The shows are Maria’s concept — always.” Jen says that since her daughter joined the Silks program, “She has learned grace, poise and movement.

“Maria’s style of teaching is to move the class together, like the Waldorf idea. The classes progress  as a unit and it builds support, esprit de corps within the class. Our family stumbled on this years ago, For my daughter, I never imagined we’d become so involved.”

Maria Bullock says, “I am so inspired by my students as I watch them grow stronger, become comfortable with being upside down, get more flexible, and develop grace.”

This year the Island Aerial Acrobatics “family” has raised over $5,000 from an auction and bake sales to pay the production costs such as Center Stage rental, ticketing, sound production and costumes.

In the fall Maria hopes to travel to Poland to visit her family. While she is away, other “Silks” aerial acrobatics teachers Garth Simpson, Hailey Averna, Stephanie McIlhenny and Virginia Sides will plan programming for when the program starts up again in January 2019 at Orcas Center’s Black Box.

Island Aerial Acrobatics “Connections” can be seen March 30 and 31 on Main Stage at Orcas Center at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are 15 for adults and $10 for youth and are available at orcascenter.org